A new port tracking system is envisioned to help solve a problem that plagues supply chains: knowing where shipments are and when they will arrive in port. That’s one reason the busiest port complex in North America is looking at adding technology to improve cargo flow. The Port of Long Beach initiated a pilot with GE Transportation to increase visibility, enhance real-time decision-making and optimize cargo movement through the port.

GE Transportation’s Port Optimizer solution promises to help increase visibility of incoming cargo from two days to two weeks. The cloud-based software enhances supply chain performance and predictability by delivering real time data-driven insights through a single portal to stakeholders across the supply chain – from shipping companies, port terminal operators, freight railroads, as well as others in the supply chain. Integrating data from across the port, combining machine learning and deep domain expertise, the system helps the supply chain monitor and respond to dynamic conditions, align people and resources, and proactively communicate across functions – thus enabling maximum port cargo flow and delivery performance.

Port of Long Beach’s Mario Cordero says, “This partnership with GE is providing an important trial for us as cargo and competition grow. We need new and innovative ways to ensure our customers can move their containers from water to land quickly, reliably and at a cost that makes sense for their business.”

The new system is a welcome addition for ports, which are handling record cargo volumes and must manage complex port operations. The two-to-three-month pilot at Port of Long Beach includes two marine terminals: Total Terminals International and Long Beach Container Terminal. It also follows a successful pilot at adjoining Port of Los Angeles, two of the busiest in the world. Los Angeles launched its pilot in 2016, and subsequently expanded it last summer. The LA port says it expects to experience an 8% to 12% improvement in overall supply chain efficiency, once the program rolls out across the entire port.

GE Transportation’s Laurie Tolson notes, “With container volumes on the rise, the world’s ports are moving more cargo than ever, making the need for operations optimization even more critical. A uniform, common user portal, like our Port Optimizer solution, will enable stakeholders to make scheduling, planning and payment decisions prior to cargo arrival, as well as reduce delays during each handoff between nodes in the supply chain.”